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Samsung launches Guru200 candybar in India
At first glance this handset looks boring enough to make even a seasoned professional cry, but hold up just one hot second: it has at least one cool feature that we'd be willing to be a day's wage (not really) that your phone can't do. The Samsung Guru200 -- follow-on to the recently released Guru100 -- features FM radio recording, putting an extra twist on the regular FM radio that's virtually standard on every cellphone sold across India. Otherwise, yeah, it really is as boring as it looks, if you don't count a few software twists designed to cater to the Indian market. Look for it to launch for Rs. 2,999, which works out to about $71.[Via Unwired View]
SingTel confirms iPhone for Singapore, India, the Philippines and Australia
In a singularly uninformative press release, SingTel, Singapore's largest telecommunications company, has announced that it is bringing the iPhone to "Singapore, India, the Philippines and Australia later this year" through several subsidiary carrier brands: SingTel, Bharti Airtel, Globe and Optus. The latter confirms our earlier post that Aussies won't be limited to Vodafone for their iPhone needs. Unfortunately no dates or pricing have been announced; it seems safe to assume this will cover the forthcoming 3G iPhone. In any case, this is good news for some of our Asia / Pacific iPhone brethren.Thanks Peter!
Sony hires 13 PS2 game developers to increase sales in India
To give some perspective on the relative age of Sony's second console, think about this: if the PlayStation 2 were a human being, it would be a third-grader right about now, and would probably know more about long division than we do. While most eight-year-old consoles generally go the way of the Jaguar, Sony seems dedicated to the continued growth of their popular (though fairly aged) home console -- for example, in an attempt to extend their already impressive multinational reach, Sony recently hired 13 Indian game developers to create domestically-themed games and improve sales in India and the Middle East.Though nearly 3.3 million Indians already own PS2s, Sony is confident that creating games based on "Bollywood, mythology and culture" and featuring motion-sensing gameplay using the fairly neglected Eye Toy peripheral will further increase their dominance in the Indian market. Could these rupee-garnering efforts prolong the system's life until middle school, and the associated joys of puberty? Only time can tell.
Dell gets official with Dell 500 laptop for emerging countries
Usually, when a product is officially announced, the veil of mystery surrounding it is lifted, but that's not the case with Dell's new Dell 500 laptop, which the company announced in India today in conjunction with the opening of a new factory in the country. As you may recall, we previously heard that Dell was all but set to introduce a new budget-priced 8.9-inch laptop, and it seems like this could well be it, although we don't have so much as a screen size on this new model to confirm that possibility just yet. Still, the Rs 24,500 price tag (just over $600) is at least in the same ballpark, and the choice of Windows XP Home or Ubuntu Linux only would seem to suggest some Atom-level hardware. Apart from that, the only details the company seems to have deemed fit to announce are an 8-in-1 card reader, some direct media playback buttons, and a "host of wireless access options." Leading us to suspect that it might not be the same 8.9-inch laptop, however, is the fact that this one is apparently intended specifically for emerging countries like India and China, which doesn't exactly match up with Michael Dell's comment that the company was readying an answer to HP's Mini-Note, though we suppose we'll just have to wait and see how things shake out.
iPhone coming to India on Vodaphone in September?
Apple sources are telling the Business Standard that the iPhone is launching in India on carrier Vodafone, with an expected release date this September. The 8GB version is supposedly launching within the year for sure, with a 16GB version "based on buyer response" in 2009.These "sources" seem to know quite a bit -- they also claimed that Vodaphone was being considered for an Australian release, and said that "multiple carriers" might even be likely. Of course, don't forget your grain of salt on this one -- Vodafone officials denied any knowledge of the deal. But it's very true that India is one of the biggest players in the "grey market" for iPhones, so a deal there, with Vodafone or another carrier, wouldn't be unexpected at all.There is one catch -- apparently the price specified by Apple sources is around Rs 28,000, which is a whopping $700 US (for comparison, the price in the UK was £300 on release before the price drops, which comes to $599 US). So if these sources are legit, anyone wanting to take advantage of a Vodafone deal won't be doing so cheaply.Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
Intermedia Cable Communications launches HDTV in India
Don't look now, but it seems that even more of India's population will have access to a sliver of HD programming. Intermedia Cable Communication, which is Pune's dominant MSO servicing some 40,000 homes, has launched five HD networks for its subscribers to enjoy. Unfortunately, the release doesn't mention what those channels are, but we are told that customers can expect to catch the Beijing Olympics and the 2010 Commonwealth Games (hosted in Delhi, India) to be aired in high-def. As for future plans, the provider is hoping to lure even more high-definition content to its carriage system, and in the meantime, it's looking to dole out as many HD STBs as possible in its service area.[Thanks, Zaid]
Ubisoft buys Gameloft India studio
Ubisoft has announced the acquisition of an India-based development studio of Gameloft, the mobile game company. The deal represents another step in Ubisoft's plan to ramp up their presence in Asia, following the establishment of a new studio in Singapore.The two-year-old studio is located in Pune, in the west of India. Currently staffing 120 developers and testers, Ubisoft plans to balloon its size up to over 500, with a more modest goal of 200 employees by the year's end. Gameloft has a close relationship with Ubisoft, having developed mobile versions of a number of Ubisoft properties over the years, including Rainbow Six and Prince of Persia.
Indian Blackberry network given 15 days to allow government snooping or shut down
The last we'd heard, the Indian government had ruled out the threat of a Blackberry ban if RIM didn't allow it to snoop on messages, but it looks like some overzealous bureaucrat is getting his way after all: the Department of Telecom has issued a 15-day deadline for RIM to either open up for the G-men or get shut down. RIM says it won't comment on regulatory issues as a matter of policy, but it looks like the Indian government is playing hardball, with Telecom Minister A Raja saying that national security will not be sacrificed at any cost. Hmm, hear that? That's the sound of over 400,000 Indian Blackberry users desperately grabbing at their devices to get another quick fix -- something tells us this isn't going to end well.[Via Cellpassion]
MTNL brings IPTV to Mumbai, could expand to more parts of India
Shortly after hearing that Sun Direct TV was bringing MPEG-4 satellite service to India, state-owned Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) has announced that Mumbai residents can now get entertained via IPTV. Additionally, the outfit is talking with BSNL to take IPTV to more cities in the nation, and it will be charging Rs 499 per month without any extra fee for the set-top-box. Best of all, MTNL is mulling the idea of providing two undisclosed HD channels in Delhi and Mumbai, though we're not sure when it would launch said content if the idea gets the all important thumbs-up.
Sun Direct TV brings MPEG-4 satellite service to India
While DirecTV rolls out plans to migrate some of its customers to MPEG-4, Sun Direct TV is giving around 40 million homes in southern India such service right now. By incorporating Harmonic's video delivery solutions, it has become the first carrier in India to offer up MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) direct-to-home broadcast service. As it stands, 120 standard-definition channels are currently available to subscribers, but the operator is planning to add an undisclosed amount of HD channels "in the near future."
India's encrypted BlackBerry network lives to fight another day
Remember the Indian government's threat to shutdown RIM's in-country network if they didn't open it up for snooping? Ain't gonna happen. Today the Indian government ruled out banning the BlackBerry service. Instead, the government will continue working with the Telecom Commission on security matters (whatever that means) with a promise to resolve the matter soon. Look India, if the notoriously controlling Chinese allow the data to run encrypted, what's your beef chicken?
Indian Blackberry network to be shut down unless RIM allows government snooping
Uh-oh, Indian Blackberry users -- better get ready for some major disconnection anxiety. Apparently the Indian government is demanding that RIM either allow it to snoop on its encrypted email service (or worse, drop down to 40-bit encryption), or shut down the entire Indian Blackberry network at the end of the month. That'll cut off an estimated 400,000 subscribers, so the carriers, RIM, and government officials are due to meet and try and hammer out a solution on the 14th, but the issue probably won't be easy to solve -- ISPs are now concerned that if RIM complies, all encrypted wireless data will be open to spying, which would make things like ecommerce virtually impossible. Furthermore, since Blackberry traffic gets routed to Canadian NOCs first, there are some thorny international issues at play as well -- just to put things in perspective, RIM doesn't even allow the Chinese government to snoop in this way, although we're certain there's another backdoor in place. Honestly, though, we'd suffer through a little CrackBerry withdrawal if it kept the G-men out of our hair -- let's hope RIM's got some fight in 'em.[Via Boy Genius Report]
India's Xbox 360 boss leaving in April
Phil Harrison isn't the only major industry player to leave his post recently, Microsoft India's manager of entertainment and devices, Mohit Anand, is leaving the company after eight years, during which he launched the Xbox 360 in the region. Anand expresses to GameGuru that he can't say what he's doing next, but the site wonders if he's joining Nintendo and bringing the Wii to India. He flat out denies he'll take a job at Sony.The best quote in the whole piece has to be when Anand whips out the 10 rupee ($.25) words and "absolutely negate[s] the rumor vociferously" that he is leaving Microsoft due to internal problems. He concludes that he's since very happy how the Xbox 360 has performed in India since launching a little over a year ago.
60 "iStores" will open across India
There's a huge push in India right now by Reliance Digital to open 60 iStores across the nation's top twenty cities. The iStores will sell Apple products exclusively, and carry the full line, from consumer products to pro hardware.Expect to see all sixty stores up and running within the next 18 months. We wonder how the interior design will look, and if it will resemble official Apple Stores.If you visit one of these stores, please let us know! We'll be happy to share your photos and stories.Thanks, Ravi!
Virgin Mobile launches in India, but don't call it an MVNO
Emphasizing that Virgin Mobile India's launch is a "brand franchise," not an MVNO, Virgin chief Sir Richard Branson has unveiled the partnership with Tata Teleservices to bring the company's marque to a range of CDMA handsets in one of the world's largest and fastest-growing mobile markets. The franchising scheme is an interesting one because it allows both Tata and Virgin to hook up with other partners, and indeed, Branson has already said that he'll be shopping the service to GSM carriers later this year. As part of the launch, Virgin Mobile is touting ten "industry firsts" -- and while most of them are marketing mumbo jumbo, it's notable that every single phone offered by the carrier MVNO brand features a color display and FM radio. The service is available now.[Via mocoNews]
Sintex's biogas digester ingests crap, emits energy
Sintex Industries' aptly-dubbed biogas digester is most certainly not the first of its kind, but it is somewhat commendable that its maker is making no bones about this thing's purpose. Destined to "solve India's energy and sanitation problems in one stroke," this concoction can convert "human [waste], cow dung, or kitchen garbage into fuel that can be used for cooking or generating electricity." Reportedly, a one-cubic-meter digester would sell for around $425, but could pay for itself in energy savings in under 24 months. Excrement to energy -- now there's a concept.
Samsung's ultra cheap Guru100 comes to India
Alongside the C140, Samsung's Guru100 candybar now occupies very rarified air in the mobile world, being able to claim the lucrative sub-Rs.2000 (about $49.90) market at retail in India. The simple candybar still manages to pack a handful of modern features like MP3 ringtones, a 128 x 128 color display, speakerphone, Java support, and MMS messaging, along with something decidedly un-modern: a whopping 9 hours of talk time. As hard as it might be to comprehend, we'd wager an S60 phone from Samsung has a better chance of coming to the US than this gem does (snap!) so we might suggesting booking a flight out to Mumbai if you're really feeling this one -- which, really, defeats the low price anyway.[Via Cellpassion]
Indian telecom company to rollout massive WiMAX network
Even as Sprint tentatively rolls out the XOHM network here in the States, the largest Indian telecom company is planning to build a mobile WiMAX network covering three states on the subcontinent capable of serving 250 million people. State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited is leaning on Soma Networks to build the broadband-speed network in response to government requirement that 20 million broadband lines be in service by 2010. The WiMAX rollout will first hit the largest and most-connected states, but BSNL is planning on extending the network if things go well. Soma says it's shipping thousands of base stations to get the network operational at full speed, and that when it's done, 400 Indian cities will be covered, with downstream speeds of 1.5 megabits per seconds. No word on when that might be, but the race is officially on, Sprint.
Indian government to SMS food alerts to poor, forgets poor lack cellphones
A regional government in India has decided to send out alerts via SMS to families in need when their 35kg monthly rice ration is ready to pickup. The system is set to cover as many as 3.4 million families -- or 60 percent of the region's population -- though the gents running the show were unsure how many families in need actuality had cell phones to receive the notice or the means to sign up. We really have to wonder why nobody stopped to consider that the poor in need of food to survive might not have cell phones to get these messages in the first place. Perhaps a cheapo prepaid could be part of this high tech recipe in the future?
HCL rolls out low-cost MiLeap laptops for India
HCL's already brought some low-cost desktops to India, and it looks set to do the same for laptops as well, with the company now taking the wraps off two budget-priced models made "with a little help from Intel." As you can see above, one of those, the MiLeap X, is more than a little familiar-looking, although HCL seems to be doing its best to distant itself from the Classmate PC brand, and claims that the laptop has been "designed exclusively for India." Suffering from no such confusion is the slightly higher-end and more UMPC-like MiLeap Y model, which boasts the same 7-inch screen and built-in WiFi, but adds an 80GB hard drive, Bluetooth, and Vista Home Premium in place of the MiLeap X's Linux OS, among other features. No word on a release date for either just yet, but the MiLeap X will apparently be available starting at Rs 13,990 (or about $350), while the MiLeap Y will start at under Rs 30,000 (or roughly $760).[Thanks, Sandy]
